Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic transmission for a vehicle.
Description of Related Art
Recent increases in oil prices are triggering a hard competition in enhancing fuel consumption of a vehicle.
In this sense, research on an engine has been undertaken to achieve weight reduction and to enhance fuel consumption by so-called downsizing and research on an automatic transmission has been performed to simultaneously provide better drivability and fuel consumption by achieving more shift stages.
In order to achieve more shift stages for an automatic transmission, the number of parts is typically increased, which may deteriorate installability, production cost, weight and/or power flow efficiency.
Therefore, in order to maximally enhance fuel consumption of an automatic transmission having more shift stages, it is important for better efficiency to be derived by a smaller number of parts.
In this respect, an eight-speed automatic transmission has been recently introduced, and a planetary gear train for an automatic transmission enabling more shift stages is under investigation.
Considering that gear ratio spans of recently developed eight-speed automatic transmissions are typically between 6.5 and 7.5, fuel consumption enhancement is not very large.
In the case of a gear ratio span of an eight-speed automatic transmission having a level above 9.0, it is difficult to maintain step ratios between adjacent shift stages to be linear, by which driving efficiency of an engine and drivability of a vehicle deteriorated.
Thus, research studies are underway for developing a high efficiency automatic transmission having nine or more speeds.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.